Beast King
by Thatwolfbutler
Summary: The Beast King is a powerful and intelligent man. The ruler of Beast Valley where strength is key. Having tamed a dragon is a great in of itself. They're endangered, strong, intimidating, and deadly. The two are close and it is often wondered how the Beast King came upon such a creature and tame it. It's a very interesting story.
1. Chapter 1

There is a section of land known as Beast Valley. Vicious creatures are known to live in the land and attack just about anything. The winters are known to be harsh with heavy snowfall, snowstorms, and frigid temperatures. The land itself is very fertile and perfect for farming. Mountains surround most of it, giving it very few entry ways and the trip can be long and tedious. The people who live there are hardy, strong-willed, and brave. Having to deal with vicious animals and extreme weather they have adapted over generations. The people native to the valley live in harmony with the beasts and most have learned to tame them.

The capital city houses most of the population with small villages spread around the area.

The ruler of the land of the land is a young Barbarian who is known for his strategic mind and overwhelming power. He took down the previous leader at the age of 17. Since then the land has prospered and trade from other kingdoms has increased greatly, making quality of life better for everyone. The current ruler goes by Beast King for his ability to tame any beast. Most notably, he has tamed the most dangerous and deadliest of beasts. A dragon.

The Beast King is accompanied by said dragon who is very protective of his owner. The dragon acts as transportation, bodyguard, advisor, and best friend. The dragon follows his master wherever he goes and is known to be very weary and distrustful around strangers. Though, it's said around his master he's very clingy and loves attention but that's just a rumor.

~o~o~o~

The morning sun shines through the curtains and begin to fill the large room of the Beast King. Large canopy bed, sitting area complete with fireplace and a few book shelves filled with books and large comfy chairs, large double doors that lead to a beautiful balcony overlooking Beast Valley, large double doors that lead out of the room, and a sleeping lump curled up under the covers.

There is a solid knock on the wooden doors of his room. There is a groan from the lump under the covers. The knock gets louder.

"Go away." The lump yells, groggily.

"Your majesty. It's time to get up. You have a lot to do today. It's imperative you get up."

"Five more minutes." He calls out.

walking briskly down the hall of a man with bi-colored hair. Right half is a snow white while the left half is a cherry red. A burn scar covers his left ocean blue eye, while his right eye is a smokey grey. He is wearing red pants stuffed into black boots, a long sleeve white shirt, and a blue and gold vest. "Is he not awake yet, Iida?"

The man at the door salutes, his armor clattering a bit. His silver rectangular glasses shine for a second. "Sir Shoto! Good morning. But no. His majesty has not yet awakened."

He takes a deep breath. "I see. Let me handle this." He shoves open the door. "Izuku Midoriya." He yells. "Get up this instant."

Snorting awake and jumping up, a man with fluffy green hair and shimmering green eyes. He looks around frantically with wide eyes. "What? Who? Shoto?" He rubs his eyes. There are scars that cover his hands, arms, and a few on his chest and back. A tattoo sits on his left shoulder with a dragon encircling the initials S.T.

"Time to get up." He walks over to him and grabs his wrist, pulling him out of bed. "Let's get your teeth brushed and hair combed."

He whines and stumbles a bit. "I just want more sleep..." He says softly.

"Well, you had the chance to sleep but you decided to stay up for that festival, drinking, eating, and dancing." He looks at the door. "Iida. Go tell the cooks to prepare a light breakfast. His majesty has a hangover. Then make sure Uraraka has the schedule ready. Got it?"

He nods. "Understood!" He runs off with great speed.

Izuku whines and rubs his head. "It was a special festival though..." He says softly. "You said go have fun."

"I didn't think you'd get totally wasted and begin dancing around like you're about to go to war the next day." He pulls him to the bathroom and makes him stand in front of the sink and mirror. He gets his teeth brush and toothpaste. "Say ah."

He whines. "I can brush my own teeth." He opens his mouth none the less.

Shoto brushes his teeth without another word. Once Izuku spits out the residue in his mouth he hands him a cup of water. Izuku takes it and gargles before spitting it out. Shoto washes his face and then starts to comb out his hair the best he can. When done, he guides him back to the bedroom and tosses his clothes at him.

"Everything is happening so fast." Izuku mutters as he gets dressed. He pulls up his pants and pulls his red shoes on. He wraps his green cloak with white fur around the collar, over his shoulders and ties it off. "Breakfast?"

Shoto sighs in relief and nods. "Yes. Breakfast." He takes his hand and leads him down the hall and down the stairs until they get to the dining hall. He sits him down at the head of the table and sits down to his right, joining the others. "Finally."

Izuku clears his throat and lifts up his goblet. "My head hurts and I'm still tired. So...let's eat." He stares at his big bowl of porridge and pouts a little bit. "This is it...?" He looks over at Shoto.

"You have a hangover. So yes, that is it." Shoto glances at him then smiles at his plate of eggs, sausage, bacon, and ham stacked to the brim.

Izuku pouts and looks over to his left at Ochako. "Psssttt, can I have a piece of bacon?" He whispers.

She leans over and whispers. "No. This is for your own good. You'll only get sick later if you have something heavy."

He sighs and lifts up his spoon and starts to eat his perfectly warm porridge. It isn't bad but it's just bland. But it did go down easily and his head is starting to clear up a bit. He starts to scarf it down and takes a sip from his goblet. Nice cool water hits his dry mouth and he nearly melts into his seat. Once his mind is now much clearer, he glances over at Ochako.

"What's the schedule for today?"

Shoto visibly relaxes and takes a long sip from his goblet.

"Well, you have your monthly check in with the other tribes first. Then you have a lunch date with your mother. Then you have to prepare for your meeting with the other Kingdom's Prince in regards to something important they want to discuss."

Shoto grunts softly and stabs his fork into a piece of ham. "Do they have to come here?"

Izuku smiles at him. "It's to show good will between our two kingdoms. So yes. They have to come here."

"He's right Todoroki." Tenya speaks up. "We have to be hospitable if we want negotiations to go well. They'll only be here a few days at most."

Shoto grimaces. "I'll keep my eyes on them. In case they try something. I don't like this."

Izuku rubs the back of his neck. "You just don't really like strangers. It's alright. Try not to worry too much, alright?"

After breakfast, Izuku, Iida, Ochako, and Shoto head outside to the open Square in front of the palace.

Ochako hands Izuku a map. "Here. Make sure to check on every one of these marked on the map."

He takes the map. "I know. I've been doing this for over three years now. I'll be gone for a few hours. Just make sure things run smoothly until I return."

Iida and Ochako both salute and give a resounding, "Yes sir!"

Shoto takes a few steps back and inhales deeply. With a puff of smoke he changes into a large dragon. He spreads out his wings, one white and the other red. Glistening white scales covers most of his body with red stretching over the left side of his face and down to his chest. Sharp fangs poke out of his mouth, small spikes trail down on his tail. Two long black horms stretch back and curl at the end. He snorts out a puff of smoke from his nostrils and lowers his head. He lightly nuzzles Izuku and a soft purr rumbles in the back of his throat.

Izuku chuckles and rubs his snout. "You're so cute, you know that?" He grins. He climbs on his back. "I'll see you guys later." He waves. "Let's go Shoto."

The dragon roars and flaps his wings, rising into the air and flying off. Shoto soars through the sky with Izuku closing his eyes and letting the wind blow past him.

"This takes me back." Izuku laughs. "Back when it was just you and me, fighting to survive. Making our way across the country."

Shoto glances back at him and roars. "How can I forget? Some of the happiest days of my life."

He smiles and lies down on his back, staring up at the sky. "Right. Thinking back on when we first met feels like yesterday." He smiles softly.

~5 Years Ago~

A 15 year old Izuku stares at his map and looks around wearing thick fur armor. "There is suppose to be some sort of ice cave around here..." He says softly, trudging up a snowy mountain. "I'm suppose to kill it." He sighs and stops at the mouth of the cave. "Here it is."

The cave is large and covered in icicles dangle over the opening. A soft growl echos through the cave causing them to rattle.

He forces down the lump in his throat and shoves his map into one of his pockets. He slowly starts to walk inside, stepping carefully. "An ice dragon that can breathe fire like a fire dragon. Ice dragon's aren't known for their fire breath, so this is strange. Its been attacking villages randomly and burning everything in its path. Almost like it's angry." He continues to mutter to himself.

He continues to walk deeper into the cave until he comes to an open cavern. Sunlight trickles in from a small hole in the ceiling and shines over the ice, making it sparkle and glow. Izuku looks around, amazed and almost hypnotized.

"Who are you?" A cold voice asks from behind

His eyes snap to a boy around his age sitting at the far end of the cavern, back pressed against the wall and wrapped in a blanket. He can't help but take notice of his duel colored hair and eyes. Even more noticeable is the burn over his left eye.

"Are you here to kill the vicious dragon?" He asks.

Izuku rubs the back of his neck. "Well, I'm not here to _kill _the dragon. More like, try to tame it?"

"Tame a dragon? Are you some kind of stupid?" The boy sneers. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to tame a dragon?"

"Well, of course I do, but it's the only way I can think of handling this situation. I don't want to kill the dragon. They're endangered enough as is. Not to mention this dragon's actions are strange. But they still need to be stopped."

"Strange?" He raises a brow.

"Dragon's don't normally attack without some sort of motive, like revenge, self-defense, or even just to steal some gold. This dragon attacks randomly and destroys everything like it's angry at something. Maybe at humans themselves? So, that's what I'm guessing its motive is. So, instead of killing it I'm hoping to help it somehow."

"So...you want to tame this dragon, to try and help it get over its anger issues?" He raises a brow.

"Well, sort of, yeah." He rubs the back of his neck. "When you put it like that, it sounds a little silly."

"I get it. You really are an idiot. Turn around and go back home." He waves his hand. "You have a life to live."

"I take it you're the dragon?"

"What if I am." His eyes narrow and he slowly stands up.

"This makes things easier." He smiles. "If you allow me to tame you, then I can help."

"Help? You want to help?" He marches up to him, standing a few inches taller and using the height difference to loom over him. "A filthy, pathetic, human like you? What? Do you want to use me as some sort of weapon? To be some extravagant pet? Sell me on the black marker for parts?" He yells and snarls, clenching his fists tightly.

Izuku furrows his brows and gulps a little bit. "W-what? No! I don't want to do any of those things! I really just want to help." He would be lying if he said he isn't intimidated.

"**LIES!**" He roars. Throws off his blanket and snarls as his teeth elongate into fangs and nails grow into claws. "**All humans do is LIE and STEAL and KILL! You're no different!**" Scales begin to cover his body and it grows in size, shape morphing and wings sprout out of his back. He roars, now a full blown dragon.

Izuku grits his teeth. "Okay. It seems we have to do this the hard way." He jumps back, avoiding a stream of fire. He brings up his right hand, holding out his index and middle finger towards the furious dragon. "_Sacred Art: Beast Chain._" He draws a symbol in the air before diving out of the way of sharp claws.

A opaque golden chain wraps around the dragon's neck, making him roar and thrash his his head around. He snarls and let's loose a stream of fire at the human.

Izuku jumps to the side again and rolls a bit, panting softly. "I'm not going to give up!"

"I won't let himself be captured. Not again. I will not be used to serve a human ever again!" He roars. He claws at the chain and snarls. He bites down on it and swings it around, slamming Izuku against the walls and floor of the cave.

He grits his teeth as he smashes against hard ice. His head begins to bleed and he's sure a few ribs break, but he doesn't release his spell.

The dragon let's go of the chain and starts to run towards the exit. Izuku slides against the ice, kicking his feet a bit. Once outside, the dragon takes off immediately into the air. Izuku kicks his feet as he dangles from the chain coming out of his fingers. He grips the chain with his free hand.

"You're persistent." He snarls and and flies lower over a sea of thick pine trees.

The young Barbarian shuts his eyes tightly as he slams against branches, tree trunks, and needles prick his face. He spins around a few times, getting cuts and scrapes along the way. He continues to hold on tightly despite the onslaught.

The dragon snarls and makes a sharp turn in the air, flying straight up into the sky. Once high above the clouds, he folds his wings and falls backward into a full nosedive towards the ground. Before hitting the ground he spreads his wings and glides across the air over another sea of trees. He pants heavily then flies a little higher into the air. He looks down to see if he's still dangling and doesn't see him. "Good. He fell off."

"_Sacred Art: Beast Circle." _Izuku grips the chain while on the dragon's back.

A magical circle appears under the dragon, making him freeze and begin to fall to the ground. He lands with a crash, groaning loudly.

Izuku pants heavily as he slides off and lands on the ground, taking a few steps back. "That...took a lot out of me." He's bleeding from his head, chunks of armor are missing and reveal either scratched bleeding flesh or heavy bruising. His fingers connected to the chain look like they're broken and various small scratches and cuts cover his hands.

The dragon snarls and puffs out a puff of smoke from his nostrils. "When I break out of here you're dead."

"Why are you so angry? What did humans do to you?" He asks, sitting down and leaning against a log.

"What did humans do to me?" He roars and growls. "I was _made _by a damn human. I was called his 'Greatest Masterpiece'. Raised and trained to be his secret weapon. Forced to train and get stronger..." He tries to raise himself from the ground, but can't push himself up. "Forced to fight my own kind to the death. Forced to do his bidding for years and years. Beaten if I didn't follow an order or failed a task. Starved to near death if I tried to runaway. I was his slave. His property. But not anymore. I refuse to let myself go back to being the **tool **for some **human**."

Izuku sits there and listens. It all makes sense now. He shakily stands up and walks closer to the dragon, making him growl. "I get why you're so mad at humans and why you hate us so much. You have every right to be. But, you **don't **have the right to go around ruining lives by killing senselessly!"

He snarls. "It's what I was born to do! Why resist what my power was made for? Why try to resist my destiny? There's no point. My power was created to destroy."

Izuku grits his teeth and stomps his foot. "**It's your power!**" He screams as loud as possible to the dragon. "**You're free now, aren't you?! Isn't that what you just told me! It's your power! Not _his! _Use it how YOU want to! Make your own damn destiny, damn it!**" He breathes heavily and eyes fill with a fire. He raises his fingers and swipe them up then diagonal. "_Release._"

The dragon, taken aback by his words quickly moves up to a sitting position and stares down at the human, eyes wide. He isn't sure why, but he feels...intimidated right now.

He looks up at him. "Since you're so mad and angry at humans, you can take it out on me! I'll fight you, dragon! I'll fight until either one of us can't move. Will that satisfy you? If I win, you have to **_stop_** your senseless attacks, got it? If you win, then...you can kill me and do as you wish. Deal?"

He sits there, dumbfounded. Why? Why was he going through all this trouble? Was the reward that great? No. He's seen the poster before. Not nearly enough to go this far. Something about this human made him feel...strange. He nods and growls softly. "Deal."

Izuku grins big. "Good!" A green electric power surrounds his body. He lunges toward the dragon's face and clenches his fist tightly and clenches his ass. "DETROIT!" He swings his fist. "**SMASH!**"

**Yeah~ I made a little twist to the fantasy au. I saw some art of Barbarian Deku and was like "YO THAT'S SO COOL! THEN SHOTO CAN BE HIS DRAGON!" And since there is no fanfiction of that, I decided to make my own! I hope you guys enjoyed and be on the lookout for chapter 2, coming eventually! Anyways, let me know what ya think!**


	2. Chapter 2

_I remember now. There was someone else there. They made the days a little less...terrible. Ah, I remember snow white hair, yes. Long. Silver eyes...a kind smile. A woman. Maybe married to the man? I'm not sure._

**"Smash!"** Deku slams his empowered fist into the nose of the stunned dragon, a loud crack resonating from the beast as he's sent rolling back many feet, cracking through trees and sliding against the ground. He slowly pushes himself off his side and shakes his head. He winces as blood drops from his nostrils.

Izuku pants heavily as he lands on the ground wincing at his broken arm. He grits his teeth and stares down at him. "Okay...I have to rely only on my fingers from now on."

Shoto takes off into the air. He roars, shaking the skies and earth. He flies overhead, in a circle around the human. He notices his broken arm. "_Did he break his arm after that attack? What sort of destructive magic does he have?" _He opens his mouth, shooting a stream of fire towards the barbarian.

Izuku raises up his uninjured arm and holds back his index finger with his thumb and flicks it forward, dispersing the flames and sending the dragon tumbling in the air.

_She would hold me in her arms as I cried after hours of training. She...was nice. Treated me like her own child. It was some form of comfort in that hell hole._

He spreads out his wings and shakes his head. He growls and swoops down, landing on the ground. Ice begins to form under his right side. Spikes of ice make a b-line straight for Izuku.

He stands his ground and flicks his middle finger, gritting his teeth and stiffing a scream. It cracks the ice apart, sending shards back at the dragon, only to shatter against his thick hide.

"You're doing far more damage to yourself than you are to me." Shoto roars.

"I know." He laughs halfheartedly. He nearly falls over before catching himself. Blood drips from his head and stains the ground below. "But...I just need to hold out. Until you're not so angry."

He growls. "We're suppose to fight until one of us can't move. Do you honestly think you can win?"

He wipes the blood from his nose. "Not...really. But this should...be enough to calm you down...at least for a little while."

"You realize if I win, I get to kill you and do what I want, right?" What's wrong with this human? Why is he doing so much? He only had two more fingers he can flick. Is he seriously trying to help him? With a puff of smoke, the dragon turns into his human form, clenching his fists tightly.

"What are-"

"Shut up. There is no way you can defeat me with just your fingers alone. By the looks of it, you need another good punch, which you're not getting like that. It won't be a fun beating you at such an uneven playing field."

A chuckle erupts from his throat. "Got it." He grins. He charges at him full speed.

Shoto quickly sends out ice to stop him. Izuku flicks his ring finger towards the ground, sending him flying up and a large cloud of dust and dirt to spread out in the air. Shoto coughs and closes his eyes, stumbling back a bit. His ice breaks apart and he looks around. A fist slams into his left cheek, making his eyes go wide. He stumbles over and a kick lands in his stomach. Spit flies out of his mouth as he's sent back a few feet tumbling and sliding.

The dragon wheezes and coughs heavily, slowly pushing himself up. His cheek begins to bruise and he tries to look through the dust cloud. "He's so light on his feet and I can't smell anything with this cloud. Not to mention it's stinging my eyes." He slams down his right foot, encasing the area around him in ice.

Izuku curses as he slips on the slippery surface and groans. He slams into the hard surface. He grasps when a hand grips his neck, pinning him down. He pants heavily and clenches his fist tightly. "I don't understand." He slams his fist into his face. "Just...give up. I'm a lost cause." He slams his fist into his face once more. "I'm a monster!" He didn't realize it, but tears begin to well up in his eyes.

Izuku takes each hit. He spits a little blood out to the side. "You're...not a monster." He says between pants. "No matter...what that...that man did or...told you...you're good. I...know you are. You're...just angry and sad...but most...most of all you're lonely. Just need a friend." He slowly reaches up with his trembling hand, nearly all his fingers broken. He cups the side of his head, closing his eyes and giving him a gentle smile. "You can be whatever you want. It's not too..late to change."

The dragon bites his bottom lip and tears stream down his face. A chocked out sob leaves his mouth. He let's go of his neck as his hand drops from his face. He's out cold. Shoto leans his head back and screams as loud as his lungs will let him.

_Right, that's what she told me. She told me nearly the same thing. How could I forget something so important? It meant so much to me._

_~o~o~o~_

_Shoto sniffles and his little body shakes as he grips the front of her shirt. "I-I don't want to do this anymore! I don't want to be a m-monster!"_

_She sets a gentle hand on his head and smiles softly down at him. "Shoto. One day you'll be able to escape. Then you'll make your own path. Find your own destiny. You'll make plenty of friends and have many adventures. I'm sure of it."_

_He looks up at her, wiping his face as he takes a shaky breath. "R-really?"  
_

_"Yes. Always remember that you can be whatever you want." She leans down and gently kisses his forehead. "Even if you do bad things down the line that you regret. Always remember, it's never too late to change."_

_He smiles softly and rests his head against her warm chest. "Okay...I'll always remember. I promise."_

_~o~o~o~_

_Not too long after that, the incident happened.  
_

_~o~o~o~_

_Shoto pants heavily, blood dripping from his mouth and hands. His eyes stare wide at a shredded fox. Guts spilled out over the ground, stomach torn open, and head ripped off. The young boy sniffles a little bit. He didn't mean to. He was just so angry and tired from the training. He just attacked the first thing he saw, hoping to let out all of his anger and frustration on it. He just saw red and couldn't control himself. _

_"I'm so sorry..." He whispers as tears well up in his eyes. He looks back towards the house. The nice lady is standing by the door and he smiles, but it quickly fades._

_Her eyes are as wide as saucers. He has never seen fear in her eyes before. No, that's not true. He's never seen this level of fear before. He wonders if she's afraid of him now. Did she see him hurt the poor fox? He didn't mean to. She quickly turns and head back inside.  
_

_Shoto slowly stands up. He goes to wash himself up, keeping his eyes on the ground. When he walks inside, he goes to the washroom and cleans himself off. He goes to his room and puts on a new change of clothes. He walks toward the kitchen and hear someone inside. He grips the entrance way and peers inside.  
_

_"Hey..." The timid boy smiles softly. It's the nice lady. But, she seems off. "M-mom...?" Yes, she said I could call her that.  
_

_She stops moving, a tea pot whistling softly as the water boils inside. She slowly turns to him, eyes wide and filled to the brim with sheer and utter terror._

_A lump forms in his throat and something in his mind is telling him to run, but he ignores it. She'd never hurt him. She isn't like that man. She's good. "A-are you...alright?" He asks shakily._

_The teapot whistles louder. She begins to tremble, staring at that wide, sky blue, predatory eye of his, staring at her. She needs to protect himself. But with what?! _

_The teapot whistles louder and her eyes snap to it. That's it._

_Shoto gulps and whispers. "Mom?"_

_~o~o~o~_

_She poured boiling water on my face that day. Then, I never saw her again after that. I know he sent her away somewhere. I don't blame her. How could I? I tore apart some innocent fox. She was terrified and stressed from living in that home._

_I pushed away all memories of her, up until now I didn't even remember what she looked like. But, thanks to him and a few simple words it's all coming back._

_~o~o~o~_

Izuku slowly opens his eyes and groans softly. "What...?" He says softly. He hisses as he tries to move.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Izuku blinks slowly and glances around. "Where am I..?" His hands clutch soft furs and what looks like moss covers the walls. The crackling of a fire is brought to his attention as well.

"You're back in my cave. It's a special little alcove I made when I want to get really warm." He pokes the fire with a stick.

"I see..." He looks down at the bandages around his body. "You...bandaged me?"

"Yep."

"But, you won? You could have eaten me or...left me for dead."

"I know."

He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "I knew you weren't all that bad."

"You're still really stupid. What if you were wrong?"

He starts to scratch his cheek. "Well, if I was wrong, then I would be dead right now wouldn't I? That would be awful. I'm just really glad my intuition was right."

"What do you plan on doing now?"

"Well, are you going to stop destroying villages?"

"Yeah." He says softly.

"Then when I'm well enough to stand and move around I'll be on my way and out of your hair."

Shoto stares at him. "I see. So, you travel alone, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"I bet you could use someone to try and keep you from dying or doing something stupid."

"I...well I guess?" He furrows his brows. "Are you asking to come with me...?"

"No! I just-" He clears his throat. "I owe you one is all. Since...you helped me, I thought I should return the favor. We dragons don't like favors going unreturned. So, I'll follow you for awhile until the favor is returned. Then I'm leaving."

Izuku blinks a few times and smiles. "Well, alright. If you're sure. Then I'd be happy to have you tag along with me."

~o~o~o~

Shoto roars standing protectively over Izuku. The young barbarian grits his teeth, holding his shoulder. A group of six men stand a few feet away.

"Where did the dragon come from?!" One yells and aims an arrow at it.

Shoto roars once more, slamming a forepaw against the ground, shaking the earth.

"It's okay, I'm okay." Izuku says softly. He grips the arrow tightly. "I just need to pull it out...then stop the bleeding."

Shoto snarls as smoke rises from his nostrils. He inhales deeply and releases a stream of fire at the small group.

They yell and scramble back before making a run for it, dropping their weapons.

Shoto snorts a bit and quickly moves in front of Izuku and tilts his head a bit. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She chuckles and reaches out, setting his hand against his nose. "Yeah...I'm fine. I promise. It's just a flesh wound."

With a puff of smoke, Shoto turns into his human form. He walks over and carefully looks at the arrow. "What should I do? I want to help."

"Well, if you could pull it out, that would be great. I can handle wrapping it." He smiles softly. "You need to do it quick."

Shoto nods and grips it. He looks at Izuku with a weary look.

Izuku just smiles back at him, trying to reassure him it's going to be okay.

His grip tightens on the arrow and he yanks it out, making Izuku scream and tears quickly pool in his eyes. His body jerks, but he quickly tends to the wound as best he could despite the pain surging through his whole arm.

All Shoto can do it watch, much to his disdain. He's too shaky and angry to hold his hands still and treat his wound.

Not too long after, Izuku is lying on the ground, panting softly and resting on the ground. Inhales deeply and sighs in relief. Shoto stands guard, looking around for anyone suspicious.

"Does this mean your debt to me is fulfilled?" Izuku asks in a soft voice.

Shoto looks down at him and furrows his brows. He's a bit confused at first until he remembers. "Oh. No, this...doesn't count. You still got hurt on my watch."

"Oh. Okay." He smiles softly. "Good..." He mutters before drifting off.

Shoto stands up and takes a few steps back, changing back into his dragon form. He curls up around him, draping his wing over him and breathing out a soft gust of warm air, keeping him nice and warm.

~1 Year Later~

Izuku pokes the fire with a stick and looks over at Shoto lounging on his side and yawning and stretching out his limbs, wings included.

"You know, sometimes you act like an overgrown house cat." The barbarian chuckles and smiles softly.

Shoto simply groans and rolls over on his stomach and puffs out a cloud of smoke towards him.

He coughs and waves his hands. "Come on, it's a joke!" He walks over and hugs his snout. "You're my overgrown house cat."

The dragon simply enjoys the hug and nuzzles into him a little bit. A soft purr rumbles from the back of his throat.

"You know. We've been together for a little over a year now. I know you said you'd stick with me until we were even...but..." He starts to trail off and moves back.

He tilts his head a bit to the side. "But?" Is something troubling him? Does he want him to go? He lifts up his head.

"If...that day does come...do you think you can maybe...stay with me anyways?" He pokes his fingers together. "I don't want to force you to be with me or anything!" He waves his hands. "I just really like your company and we've gotten closer to each other, so."

Oh, that was it. Shoto was worried for nothing. He lightly nuzzles him with his nose. "If I'm being honest, we have been even for a very long time. No, even more to the truth, I never needed to repay you anything. It was but an excuse to spend some more time with you. After our fight you opened my eyes. Made me remember something I long forgot. I figured, if I stayed with you, I might learn more about you. Maybe even learn more about myself."

His eyes go wide and a light blush coats his cheeks. "Really? You're making me feel all embarrassed."

"I don't want to leave you side. Ever. Can I be your dragon. Forever?"

"No." He shakes his head. He sets his hand against his snout. He closes his eyes and smiles almost as bright as the fire roaring behind him. "You can be my friend. Forever."

Shoto's eyes go wide and he poofs into his human form and tackles Izuku into a tight hug. He rubs his cheek against his and starts to lick it a few times. "Perfect. Utterly perfect."

Izuku laughs and wiggles a little bit under him. "O-okay! Shoto, get off! Come on. It's weird when you lick me when you look like this."

"I don't care." He nuzzles him and makes a soft purring noise. He closes his eyes, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders. Yes. His friend. His first friend. His best friend. His beloved. His heart flutters a bit. He will protect him. To his last breath.

"You're so silly, Shoto." He smiles and cups his face with both his hands and gently pulls down his head. He lightly kisses him on the forehead. "We'll be together. Always."

~o~o~o~

Izuku stares up at the ceiling of his small house out in the country side. He sits up and reaches over, grabbing his cane. He grunts softly as he stands. His once fluffy and soft green hair, now grey and lay limply on his head. He walks over to his coat wrack and takes off his green cloak. The ends are bit tattered and some of the fur is falling off, but he wraps it around his shoulders none the less. He walks outside and smiles.

Shoto lifts up his head from the ground and his tail thumps against the ground.

Izuku waves and grins. Even with some of his teeth missing his smile is still brighter than the sun. "Shou! You don't have to guard my house like this every night you know." He rubs some of the grey stubble on his face.

With a poof the dragon turns into his human form. He doesn't look too much different. Older, a bit taller, more fit, but pretty much the same. Dragon's do live longer than humans after all. "I just want to make sure no one tries to break in."

"I don't really live out where people can just break in." He chuckles softly. "But I appreciate the concern."

"You should lie down. You know straining yourself isn't good for you." He sets a hand on his shoulder.

"I know I'm an old man, but no need to treat me like I'm so-" He begins to cough in his hand violently. "Fragile..." He pouts a little.

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat, then you can take your medicine." He puts his arm over his shoulder and leads him back inside.

Shoto sits him down and begins to make something light. "Porridge sound good to you?"

He chuckles. "I use to hate the stuff. You'd always make me eat the stuff whenever I got a hangover." He smiles fondly at the memory. "Now a days I love the stuff. Sounds perfect."

"Anything for you, Izuku." He smiles softly and turns back to his cooking.

Izuku smiles softly and looks over at the many pictures hanging on the wall. Treaty signings, pictures with his friends and family, wedding pictures, all cherished memories. He accomplished so much as the leader of Beast Valley. Life is much better for everyone. But it's in the hands of a new generation now, so his generation can enjoy their final days in peaceful retirement. A tear wells up in one of his eyes and he wipes it away.

Shoto sets down his breakfast in front of him. Izuku glances at the gold band on his finger. "Breakfast is served."

"You're the best." He picks up his spoon and takes a slow mouthful. "Perfect. You always did take good care of me. I'm sure taking care of an old man isn't what you thought you'd be doing though." He chuckles.

He shakes his head. "None sense. I don't mind the least bit."

"I just...feel a bit bad is all. I'm not as handsome as I use to be and all. I'm sure you're just waiting until...you know."

Shoto frowns. He hates it when he talks like this. He walks over and cups his cheeks, bringing his head up to look at him. He presses a kiss against it. "Together forever. That's what we promised. At that campsite. At our wedding. Every single day since then. You're still as beautiful as ever, Izuku. I love you."

That made the old man blush. He chuckles softly. "You're still much to sweet for me, you know. Do you...think we can go to the place?"

"Of course we can."

After breakfast, Shoto turns back into his dragon form and helps Izuku climb on his back. It's much harder for him now a days. Shoto makes sure to fly nice and sly for him. Izuku smiles and closes his eyes, spreading out his arms, imagining he's flying. Shoto lands a few minutes later to Izuku's favorite spot. The retired barbarian slides off and sits down.

Shoto curls up around him and enjoys the beautiful view of Beast Valley atop a high cliff.

Izuku chuckles and relaxes against the dragon. "Such a beautiful view..." He smiles softly. "Shoto...I wanna be buries in this spot."

"Izuku-"

"Come on, I'm being serious. I want to be buries right here. So I can admire this view forever." He smiles softly.

"Alright, if that's what you want." The dragon gently licks his cheek a few times. "I'll make sure to protect your grave until my last breath."

He chuckles and pats his nose. He begins to cough violently again into his hand. He wheezes and a little blood splatters on his palm.

~o~o~o~

_"I kept my promise...Izuku..."_ Shoto thinks to himself as he curls up a bit tighter on the cliff Izuku loved so much. He watches the sunrise for the 730th time.

The dragon lies there, Izuku's grave close to his body. A small arrangement of flowers next to it along with their wedding photo. The dragon lifts up his head and roars before flopping back down. His body a bit malnourished and heavy bags can be seen under his eyes. He slowly starts to close them, feeling so very tired. _"Until...my dying...breath." _He breathes. Once. Twice. Nothing.

"Shoto?"

His eye snap open and he lifts up his head, staring at Izuku who has his arms open and grinning big. He looks exactly how they first met. "Izuku..?" He stands up in his human form, looking exactly how was when they first met.

"It's so good to see you again. I missed you so much." He sniffles and laughs but that quickly turns into sobbing.

Shoto runs toward him and tackles him in a hug. He notices they're in an open field that almost looks like gold. Even the sky is a golden tint. "Izuku!" He begins to sob as well and rubs his cheek against his.

"I know...I know." He holds him tighter and grins big. "Now...we can really be together forever." He cups his cheeks in his hand and kisses his forehead, tears streaking both of their cheeks.

"Perfect." He sobs. "U-utterly perfect." He grins and gives a soft chuckle.

The next day a grave is made for Shoto, put right next to Izuku's. Some say Shoto died from starvation and lack of sleep. But those who really knew him know it was from a broken heart.

Their is a legend that says if you come find the two graves on this far off cliff, on a foggy morning, you just might get a glimpse of the two holding hands and looking off at the amazing view of Beast Valley.

Heyo! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I mean, I know it got all sad at the end because I was crying while writing it while listening to a sad song, so...yeah. It got me in the feels.

I just wanna say! If you ever draw fanart for one of my fanfics let me know! I'll love it and cry and I'll share it on a tumblr blog thing I now have.

**If you ever want updates on any of my other fics or news about new projects I'm working on, follow my little tumblr blog! It's a bit empty now cause it's kinda new, but still! Follow at .com  
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